In 1860 Chinese Shanghai merchants financed a private militia, the Shanghai Foreign Arms Corps led by the American adventurer Frederick Townsend Ward (d 1862). Wei Changhui † He studied hard and would probably have passed the government tests. In Hong's cult, God was the Father, Christ was the Son and Elder (Older) Brother, and Hong was the Younger Brother. They typically wore a uniform of red jackets with blue trousers and grew their hair long—in Chinese, they were known as Chángmáo (meaning "long hair"). [2] At last, corruption of the rebellion's leaders made people angry. No wages were paid, no private property allowed. In 1853, Hong withdrew from active control of policies and administration. China's Population Growth Throughout History. Shi Dakai † Most of them were civilians. eval(ez_write_tag([[336,280],'newworldencyclopedia_org-medrectangle-4','ezslot_2',162,'0','0'])); In the mid-1800s, China suffered a series of natural disasters, economic problems, and defeats at the hands of the Western powers.

This was the variant used by the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom in its name. According to the eminent sinologist J.K. Fairbank, the Taiping were “inept and ill-directed” They failed to hold on to territories that they occupied while advancing north. Opposing these forces was an imperial army of more than 2 million (possibly as large as 5 million) with something on the order of hundreds of thousands of regional militias and foreign mercenaries operating in support. Their main strategy of conquest was to take major cities, consolidate their hold on the cities, then march out into the surrounding countryside to battle Imperial forces. [2] He said that he saw a man called the Venerable (Respected) in Years. The Taiping Rebellion, which is also known as the Taiping Civil War or the Taiping Revolution, was a massive rebellion or civil war that was waged in China from 1850 to 1864 between the established Qing dynasty and the theocratic Taiping Heavenly Kingdom. Taiping definition, a person who participated in the unsuccessful rebellion (Taiping Rebellion ), 1850–64, led by Hung Hsiu-ch'üan (Hong Xiuquan), who attempted to overthrow the Manchu dynasty. The revolt rapidly spread northward. The Taiping had a positive attitude to 'foreign brothers' (and supposed fellow Christians); but suffered disappointment as the foreign powers rejected such Taiping advances as were made, and, after the Second Opium War (1857–60) the powers consciously lent support to the Qing. [2] Soon after, Hong became seriously ill. Troops were nicknamed the Long hair (長毛, cháng máo). He had received some education, and had had contact with missionaries in Guangzhou (Canton), but had failed repeatedly in the civil service examinations, and suffered a mental breakdown circa 1837, following which he espoused a garbled version of Christianity in which he claimed that he was son of God, and younger brother of Christ. By the mid 19th century the Qing dynasty was facing severe internal and external pressure. Troops were … With the help of the Venerable in Years's son, Hong saw himself doing battle against the demon forces. For this reason, the Chinese authorities were always suspicious and alert for the development of any group that challenged traditional beliefs in family and state. Often these revolts were movements that gave people hope for a different life and offered an end to their suffering. Potentially, these two expeditions could have acted as a giant pincer movement across the country. Xiao Chaogui † Anti-Manchu sentiment was strongest in the south among the laboring classes, and it was these disaffected that flocked to the charismatic visionary Hong Xiuquan (a member of the Hakka minority).


The Nian Rebellion (1853–1868), and several Muslim rebellions in the southwest (1855–1873) and the northwest (1862–1877) were led by the remnants of the Taiping rebels. In 1856 the Taiping court was riven by rivalry between the Eastern King (Yang Xiuqing, a former charcoal burner) and the Northern King (Wei Changhui, a former merchant). It was able to play upon Han Chinese resentment of 'foreign' (Manchu) rule, and Taiping nationalism was symbolized by the establishment of their capital at Nanjing (and by abolition of the servile 'queue', or pigtail). Bacon's Rebellion . Li went on to become the key political figure in China for the remainder of his life. Land was allotted to the peasants, but surpluses were taken by the state. Hong Xiuquan and the other Taiping royals were Hakka. The organization of a Taiping army corps was thus: These corps were placed into armies of varying sizes.

See more. A particularly famous imperial force was the Xiang Army of Zeng Guofan.
The rebels tried to change society.

The Taiping Rebellion was a civil war in southern China waged against the ruling Manchu Qing dynasty.Led by Hong Xiuquan, it is estimated that at least 20 million people died, mainly civilians, in one of the deadliest military conflicts in history. [2] However, he discovered that the officials in charge expected bribes. Toward the later stages of the war, the number of Han (the dominant majority ethnic group of China) in the army increased substantially, but minorities remained prominent the whole time. It is believed to have been the most destructive civil war in history, causing up to 25 million deaths. The Taiping Rebellion and consequent civil war took place in China between 1850 and 1864. Image .

It was marked by a high level of discipline and fanaticism. His chief protégé was Li Hongzhang (1823-1901) who was appointed to raise an army in Anhui, the Huai or Anhui army, similar to Zeng's forces. Taiping society—in some sources, the Heavenly King himself, is given credit for developing the popular Chinese game of Mahjong. Zeng was a Confucian scholar, implacably opposed to the Taiping; he built up an officer core of trusted men, established arsenals and a river fleet, and methodically began to encircle Taiping forces.

They alienated the gentry and administrative classes by their anti-Confucian iconoclasm, thus depriving themselves of effective administrators. This page has been accessed 12,948 times. In March 1853, between 700,000 and 800,000 Taiping soldiers took Nanjing, killing 30,000 Imperial soldiers and slaughtering thousands of civilians. Shortly after he became healthy again, Hong read the Old Testament and believed it showed his vision was right. However, Hong Tianguifu was unable to do anything to restore the Kingdom, so the Kingdom was quickly destroyed when Nanjing fell to the Imperial armies after vicious street-by-street fighting. Based on his readings and personal revelations, Hong Xiuquan added a third book, in addition to the Old Testament and the New Testament, to the Taiping regime's Bible. The brunt of the considerable fighting was by militias, Manchu Banner forces and the 'new armies' of Zeng and Li. Private property ownership was abolished and all land was held and distributed by the state. The Consumer Goods' song, "Taiping Riverboat," from their 2006 album. The Taiping Rebellion was a large scale revolt against the Qing Dynasty. Guangxi in the late 1840s/early 50s was troubled by famine, rebellion, smuggling, and secret societies; it was a fractured society (with Han, Hakka, and minority nationals) and remote from Beijing: fertile ground for revolt. Taiping Rebellion (1850-1864) Throughout history, China was plagued by internal revolts and rebellions.